Lunar New Year vs Tết: A Family-Friendly Guide to the Differences

One of the most common questions parents ask as they introduce their kids to East and Southeast Asian traditions: what’s the difference between Lunar New Year and Tết? Or Chinese New Year and Korean Seollal? Are they the same holiday? Different holidays? Variations on one tradition?

The answer is yes — they’re all related, observed on the same date, but each culture celebrates distinctly. Here’s a family-friendly guide to the differences, what each culture does uniquely, and why it matters for kids growing up across multiple Asian traditions.

The shared core

All of these holidays fall on the same date — the first day of the lunar calendar, usually between late January and mid-February. They all:

Begin the new year according to the lunar calendar
Involve family gatherings
Include food prepared specifically for the occasion
Feature gift-giving, often in red envelopes
Center on ancestor honoring and fresh starts

The differences, by culture

Chinese New Year / 春节 / Spring Festival

The largest in scale — celebrated for 15 days culminating in the Lantern Festival. Key distinctives:

Dragon and lion dances through streets and neighborhoods
Fireworks at midnight
Hongbao (red envelopes) given to children and unmarried adults
Nian gao (sticky rice cake) — traditional sweet
Spring couplets (red paper strips with calligraphy) pasted on doors
Jiao zi (dumplings) for northern families, often eaten together on New Year’s Eve

Korean Seollal (설날)

More family-focused and formal than Chinese New Year. Key distinctives:

Tteokguk (rice cake soup) — traditional dish, you are officially one year older after eating it
Sebae — deep bow to elders, who then give sebaetdon (new year money)
Hanbok (traditional clothing) worn by many families
Yut nori (traditional board game) played with family
Charye — ancestral rites performed before meals
Songpyeon and other rice cakes

Vietnamese Tết (Tết Nguyên Đán)

More spiritual and tradition-heavy. Key distinctives:

Bánh chưng and bánh dày (square and round sticky rice cakes) representing earth and sky
Xông đất — the first person to enter your house on New Year’s Day sets the year’s tone
Peach blossoms (north) or yellow mai flowers (south) as decorations
Lì xì (red envelopes) with money for children
Ancestral altars with elaborate offerings
Áo dài traditional clothing, often new ones for the new year
Avoiding certain actions (arguing, cleaning) on New Year’s Day to not “sweep away luck”

Other variations

Mongolian Tsagaan Sar — white foods central, nomadic family gatherings
Tibetan Losar — monastic rituals, butter sculptures
Malaysian/Singaporean Chinese New Year — bigger scale than many Western countries realize

Why this matters for multi-cultural families

Many US families are navigating multiple Asian heritages simultaneously. A child with a Vietnamese mother and a Chinese father. A Korean American dad married to a Filipino American mom. Families that include grandparents from different backgrounds.

For these kids, understanding that Lunar New Year is a family of related holidays — each culture celebrating distinctly — builds nuance. It prevents the flattening that happens when everything gets labeled “Asian New Year.”

How to teach the distinctions to kids

Ages 4–6

Keep it simple. “In our family, we celebrate Chinese New Year with dragons and red envelopes. But your friend at school is Vietnamese, and they celebrate something called Tết that’s kind of similar but also different — they eat bánh chưng instead of nian gao.”

Ages 6–8

Compare specifics. Side-by-side food, music, clothing. Make it sensory: “What do you think dragons look like in Chinese dances versus Vietnamese ones?” (Answer: different styles, both gorgeous.)

Ages 8–10

Historical context. Teach why the traditions diverged — Chinese cultural influence across East and Southeast Asia, but each culture evolving distinct practices over centuries.

Teaching multi-cultural Lunar New Year to non-Asian kids

If you’re a non-Asian family with kids who have Asian classmates, helping them understand these distinctions is a kindness. A few suggestions:

Don’t generalize. “Chinese New Year” and “Lunar New Year” are not interchangeable — some East and Southeast Asian families will be annoyed by one or the other.
Ask classmates what they celebrate, not what “Asians celebrate.”
Read books from multiple Asian traditions, not just Chinese ones.
Understand that it’s not your holiday. Observe respectfully, but don’t appropriate specific cultural practices.

The personalized book option

At Akoni Books, we offer themes for different Lunar New Year traditions:

“The Year the Dragon Came Home” — Chinese New Year / dragon-centered
“The Year of [Zodiac Animal]” — works across all Lunar New Year traditions
“The Year of New Beginnings” — Vietnamese Tết-themed
Korean Seollal-themed stories (available on request)

Your child appears as the illustrated hero of whichever tradition matches their family.

Create your family’s Lunar New Year book → or Create an East Asian-themed version →

A cross-cultural activity

A lovely tradition for multi-cultural families: one Lunar New Year dinner that includes a dish from each heritage represented in the family. Chinese dumplings plus Vietnamese bánh chưng plus Korean tteokguk. The kids learn that their family’s Lunar New Year is rich specifically because it’s not one monolithic celebration — it’s the sum of the traditions they carry.

A final note on language

The most inclusive term when speaking to mixed audiences: Lunar New Year. It honors all the traditions without centering one.

When you’re with a specifically Chinese family: Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. When with a Vietnamese family: Tết. When with a Korean family: Seollal.

Teach your kid these distinctions. It’s a small act of respect that carries significant weight within the community.

Happy Lunar New Year, whatever form your family celebrates it in.